Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director Environment Services and SRO for Growth Deal in Cherwell

Purpose of report

The purpose of this report is to update the Executive on the proposal to develop an Environmental Advisory Group of the Oxfordshire Growth Board

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1       To recognise the opportunity for partnership activity for climate action.

1.2       To support the establishment of an Environmental Advisory Group of the Oxfordshire Growth Board.

1.3       To endorse the shared principles for protecting, restoring and enhancing the environment in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

1.4       To note the progress concerning the development of a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire.

Resolved

(1)          That the opportunity for partnership activity for climate action be recognised.

(2)          That the establishment of an Environmental Advisory Group of the Oxfordshire Growth Board be supported.

(3)          That the shared principles for protecting, restoring and enhancing the environment in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc be endorsed.

(4)          That the progress concerning the development of a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire be noted.

The Assistant Director Environment Services and SRO for Growth Deal in Cherwell submitted a report to update the Executive on the proposal to develop an Environmental Advisory Group of the Oxfordshire Growth Board.

Councillor Wing, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee addressed Executive to present the feedback of the Committee which had considered the report at its 16 March 2021 meeting. Councillor Wing advised that the Committee had supported and endorsed the proposal but had raised some queries. Members of the Committee had requested that officers provide a diagram setting out the role of the Advisory Group and Growth Board Scrutiny Board to clarify the delineation between the two. The Committee had requested that the representative on the Advisory Group provided regular reports. back to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Chairman thanked the Councillor Wing and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their feedback. In response to the Committee’s comments, the Chairman noted that a diagram of the links between workstreams would be of value to all Members and concurred there would be value in the representatives on each of the Advisory Groups reporting to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on a rolling basis. The Chairman highlighted that the Growth Board Scrutiny Panel worked well and commended the Panel for the value it added.

Resolved

(1)          That the opportunity for partnership activity for climate action be recognised.

(2)          That the establishment of an Environmental Advisory Group of the Oxfordshire Growth Board be supported.

(3)          That the shared principles for protecting, restoring and enhancing the environment in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc be endorsed.

(4)          That the progress concerning the development of a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire be noted.

Reasons

This Council has a commitment to deliver the Climate Action Framework, agreed at Executive in October 2020 and to work in partnership with other stakeholders to achieve a net zero ambition across the district.  This activity can be grouped under three pillars for climate action:

·           Net zero carbon – targets for our own operations and the wider district we need to work in partnership

·           Resilience – both in terms of responding to the impacts of climate change arising from extreme weather events and ensuring resilience in energy efficiency and security of supply

·           Renewal – renewing the natural capital and environmental assets for ‘good growth’ ensuring outcomes for environmental wellbeing are integrated into all decisions for social and economic wellbeing

.

This Council is working in partnership with many stakeholders across a range of Sectors. Participation by this Council in the Oxfordshire Environment Advisory Group would strengthen the role of this Council across all partnership networks and align our commitment for environmental renewal, zero carbon and resilience to the impacts of climate change with the environmental principles underpinning growth across the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.

Alternative options

Option 1: To adopt the proposed recommendations.

Option 2: To reject the proposed recommendations and ask officers to reconsider